A transfer device in a network including a plurality of control devices includes a network connection device, memory, and a processor. The network connection device communicates a target packet as a target of a transferring process. The memory stores a transfer rule received by the network connection device from a determination device as a control device for determining a transfer rule indicating a method of a process performed by the transfer device. The processor judges whether or not disable information indicating that the transfer rule is not to be acquired from the determination device when a transfer rule applicable to the target packet is not stored in the memory is included in the target packet. When the disable information is included, the processor outputs the target packet to the network connection device without requesting the transfer rule. The network connection device transmits the target packet to another transfer device.